


Fill Flash

by quasiouster (QuasiOuster)



Series: Pictures and Images [3]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23866723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuasiOuster/pseuds/quasiouster
Summary: Claire's got something to show Neil. It takes them down memory lane and a little beyond.
Relationships: Claire Browne & Neil Melendez, Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Series: Pictures and Images [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718356
Comments: 18
Kudos: 64





	Fill Flash

**Author's Note:**

> This will be sappy. Prepare yourself for that.

Neil closed the back door firmly behind him, planning only to fill up his water bottle before heading back out. Except when he stepped into the house, he caught his wife standing in the middle of the hallway staring intently at something on the wall. Curious, he diverted from his path to investigate.

Claire had gone out to run errands that morning, and he hadn’t heard her come back in. Of course, he’d spent most of the day wrangling the kids whom he’d just left out in the backyard, the five-year old playing in the sandbox and the eight-year old painting at her art table. Claire hadn’t given him any details about her plans. But it wasn’t unusual to use their days off together for one of them to tackle the things that went a lot quicker when you didn’t have two kids in tow.

He crept up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him as he placed a soft kiss to her cheek. Very willingly, she leaned back into him, resting her arms on top of his.

“What do you think?” she asked, looking at the object in front of her.

The item in question is a framed photo – the newest addition on their “picture wall,” which is what they called the stretch of space in their foyer reserved for images of their loved ones.

When they’d first bought the house, it’d started very simply with their wedding picture, Claire looking like a vision in her romantic white dress laughing up at him, and him looking positively giddy as he beamed down at her. It had been a simple ceremony followed by a fun-filled evening of eating and drinking and dancing that went late into the night. Rather than walking down the aisle on her own, Claire had asked Shaun to do the honors with her, which he accepted very happily. And she’d insisted his sister be one of her bridesmaids, which Gabby loved. That had been one of the happiest most perfect days of his life.

After their wedding picture, they’d added images of his sister and his parents, other family members and close friends. A few years later, she’d felt ready to place her mother’s picture on the wall as well. There were vacation pictures and friends’ celebrations and finally the ever-growing display of their little girls as they matured into these two beautiful, intelligent spitfires.

But today, Claire had selected a new picture of their extended family for the wall display.

He remembered taking the picture a few weeks ago. It showed Claire standing next to a lovely young woman in a graduate’s cap and gown. The woman’s wide smile revealed a satisfaction over her achievement as she held up her medical school diploma proudly. Claire held her tightly, their faces pressed close together. She wouldn’t have been any more delighted if it were her own daughter standing next to her on the path to becoming a doctor.

And to think that when they’d first met Michelle Reynolds, she’d been a tough but tragically sad fourteen-year old, trying to be everything to everybody – her overworked mother, her foster siblings, her teachers, and a boyfriend she was way too young to be having sex with. He could see how a ruptured gall bladder was the least of her worries then.

Of course, Claire developed a soft spot for the young girl who’d been the patient for her first lead surgery. He’d worried about her focus, noticing the eerie reflection of Claire's life in the patient, and his instincts had turned out to be right. Claire had fought for Michelle; shared a bit of her own struggles with the young girl in the hope that it would ease her emotional pain and encourage her to seek help beyond what Claire could do for her. In the end, he’d done his best to back Claire up because seeing Michelle’s response to her served as a reminder of how special Claire was. And he’d told Michelle’s prickly mother, Patricia, just that – that Claire was the best resident he’d ever worked with, and her commitment to Michelle was precisely why she should be the one to do her surgery under his supervision. Afterward, he’d confirmed to the mother that Claire had been brilliant, his overwhelming pride further cutting through the woman’s wariness.

When Patricia revealed Michelle's desire to be a doctor, it had moved Claire almost beyond words.

After that, Michelle sent Claire a holiday card every year letting her know that she was well and had been serious about following in her footsteps. She’d been at their wedding and sent cute onesies for each girl’s birth. When she’d been admitted into Stanford’s medical school to specialize in psychiatry, Claire became a mentor and a friend. Neil too, happy to guide Michelle through her experience at his alma mater.

And throughout, he’d seen his wife’s delight at playing this role in Michelle’s life, never letting it become tainted by its close proximity to the personal tragedy forever tied to it.

Claire turned her head to look up at him as they continued to hold each other. Neil had gotten so lost in his thoughts that he’d forgotten she’d asked him a question.

“It looks beautiful,” he finally responded. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

She sighed and nuzzled into his neck. “I know. It’s complicated to remember how we first met her.”

“I’m glad you’re putting this picture up. You mean a lot to Michelle, and you did good work that day. I was so proud of you.” He chuckled. “Even when I warned you not to get so personally involved with your patient’s life, you do it anyway. And here we are, the results of your meddling.”

Claire laughed as well. “Well, I was always pretty good at defying you when I felt like it, that’s for sure.” When her snickering died down, he watched her eyes sweep over to the picture of her mother, a beautiful shot of Breeze Browne performing at a club looking vibrant and carefree. “It took a while, but now I can think back on that time without automatically dredging up the worst of that day.” She chuckled again. “And there’s a lot to remember. Like Park and Morgan and that guy with the marlin.”

Neil struggled to recall the details, though it sounded familiar. “Is that the guy that got the nose of that fish stuck in his leg? But then that’s how he found out he had cancer?”

“Uh, the ‘bill’ not the nose, and the marlin’s name was Franklin.”

“Oh, excuse my ignorance,” he conceded, running with her humorous take on the day. “You got your finger stuck in his leg or something, right?”

She laughed. “That’s right! I was talking to Morgan while Park tried to convince the patient that they couldn’t fit the fish in the MRI. And then all the metal the fish had ingested came flying out.” She mimicked the exploding fish guts that had taken the cleaning staff half a day to clean up and another three hours to sanitize the room. “Then the fish slipped out of his leg rupturing the femoral artery. Blood started to spurt out, and I just reacted. Climbed up on the gurney and rolled right into surgery with him. I spent over an hour in the OR on top of him with my finger in his leg while Lim operated, cramping up when I needed to be practicing for Michelle’s surgery.” Neil could feel the vibration of her laughter. “Wow, I had forgotten how insane that day was.”

“Why, what else happened?”

“Ugh, I got in the middle of Shaun’s relationship drama when he had just started dating Carly.” Neil frowned down at her. “Trust me, you don’t want to know. It was as ridiculous as everything else happening around then. First, I'm doing a lap chole, then I'm doing a full open cholecystectomy then I'm doing an open cholecystectomy _right_ _now_. But wait, no, I'm doing it the next day. Then that comes around, and I'm not doing it after all until I _am_ doing it for sure, and then I do it. I mean, I'd gone through this full range of emotions and this irrational fear that had me doubting myself. And it's my mom of all people who actually does something right and helps me through it. I guess that’s why I felt so blindsided later on. So much craziness went down, but it all ended up okay.” She sighed. “And then I got that call as I was leaving, and nothing at all was okay for a long time after.”

Neil squeezed her in his arms. “You were carrying too much on yourself, being a good friend, being the diligent resident, the dutiful daughter. You were all of those things. And then that day had one terrible tragedy happen to you. A life-changing tragedy that will always stay with you. But that is the one thing that had nothing to do with who you are as a person. It’s bad luck at its worst.”

He kissed the side of her head with a deep affection. “You couldn’t save your mother from herself. No one could have. And when you look back on that day, I want you to recognize what I see _every_ day: the Claire Browne I respected and eventually fell in love with and married before she could get away.”

The soft smile spreading across her lips revealed the loving effect his words have on her.

“Back then, that Claire Browne is helping her friends and colleagues, listening to what her patients need beyond just a diagnosis. She’s once again ignoring her boss’s warning not to get too involved and focus on the medicine.” He feels her fingers intertwine with his. “I especially like the part where she practices her bedside manner from the moment she wakes up to the second she steps in front of the OR to take a goofy selfie.” He rocks her gently. “And then the truest part of Claire Browne is acing her first surgery and being excellent even when she’s scared.”

Claire turned her head to rest in the curve of his neck. “You knew how nervous I was?”

“Of course I did,” he said chuckling. “I knew you pretty well, even then. But I was sure you could handle it. I didn’t want any doubts seeping in. The best thing I could do was show you my 100% faith in you. You deserved my unqualified trust.”

“Thank you. I don’t know if I ever told you that afterwards. It meant a lot that you were there with me to guide me through it. I know Lim and Andrews would have been great too. But it also would have been a different experience. It felt special with you and Shaun there.”

Neil smiled. “For me, too. You had it perfectly handled, though. I was just there to support what you already knew. And I was so proud. Audrey said I was beaming like an excited parent when I told her all about it later. Although, I did get a little put out when she mentioned you went to her about your nerves and not me.”

“I didn’t want you to know! You were the one who was actually going to be in the OR with me.” Claire laughed, probably amused to think of him pouting over the slight. “Besides, I had a different kind of relationship with Audrey.”

“Uh, I should hope so,” Neil joked.

Claire smacked him lightly on the arm at that. “You were both good colleagues. In _very_ different ways,” she added.

“Good to know.” He turned her around in his arms so that he could hold her properly. Then he kissed her on the lips briefly, unable to help himself.

Running her fingers through his hair, more gray than not these days, she gazed up at him with those lovely adoring eyes of hers. “So, you’re okay with putting the picture up? I know I didn’t check with you first.”

“I love the picture,” he assured her, resting his forehead against hers briefly. “And I love that you were so sappy at Michelle's graduation. You were almost more emotional than her mom,” he said, grinning.

Claire groaned and burrowed into his neck again, self-conscious about her dramatic behavior that she couldn’t deny. It made him want to hassle her a little more for the fun of it.

“I thought you were going to tackle Patricia out of the way to get that picture. Now I know what to expect with the girls.” He felt her shoulders shaking in laughter and joined in her amusement. Teasing her like this came naturally in their relationship, but honestly, it had been cute. “Is that where you were this morning? Picking up a frame for the picture?”

At the question, Claire looked back up at him, but she had a curious expression on her face that he couldn’t quite comprehend.

“Yeah, about that. I did stop by the craft store to pick it up, but I had another appointment.”

He loosened his grip so he could more comfortably see her as they talked. “Oh? You didn’t mention an appointment. Is everything okay?” The car didn’t need servicing, and she’d gotten her hair cut the month before. The girls had been with him, so it couldn’t be anything involving them. If it was health-related, she would have told him already.

“Everything’s fine. I just didn’t want to say anything until I was sure.” She turned around to look at their newest picture once more. “Turns out there’s a reason I was so emotional at Michelle’s graduation.”

“So, you admit it! That was easier than I thought,” he joked. Then he froze, letting her words sink in.

“I do admit it. And it’s for the same reason I was so emotional the last two times you teased me about it.” Looking down at her, he saw a smirk forming at the corner of her lips, and he inadvertently tightened his grip on her hips.

No one who knew Claire Browne would deny that she became emotionally involved in her work, her relationships, her hobbies, all the things that mattered to her. But that didn’t mean anyone would describe her as an overly emotional person. If anything, she managed to balance her compassion with a rather useful practicality that made her so effective as a doctor. Now that she’d pointed it out, the only times he’d joked with her about any lack of emotional control had happened twice: during the first months of pregnancy with both their kids. Which meant …

“Are you …” He couldn’t even move his lips properly to shape the words he wanted to speak into existence. At this point in life, very little shocked him. But this news? Shock is the only emotion he could register.

Claire slipped a bit from his embrace, but Neil held on tighter. “I know it’s crazy. At my age—”

“— _your_ age?” he exclaimed.

“I know, I know. You’re pushing 50 and there are still risks for me at 42,” she rambled. “We didn’t plan for this at all and just kind of mutually decided that the girls would be it. We’ve got it all down now and another baby in the house? Ugh, this is kind of a mess.” She dropped her forehead to his shoulder.

Her confirming it, saying the words out loud, cut through the static that had flared in his brain. She’s right. They’d never officially talked about sticking with two kids, but their lives had just settled into a routine that worked, and it never came up. As they got older, it moved farther and farther off the radar.

Could he do all this again at his age? Would it be that much more stressful watching Claire go through a pregnancy in her 40s? Plus, there’s the disruptions to their careers without the careful path they’d plotted before. Would they need a bigger house? More money? Better retirement plans? Disneyland at the end of the school year was now out. All the sleepless nights that felt endless? And he did not have the energy he used to. His mind spiraled from one contingency to the next.

Looking down at the top of Claire’s head, he took a deep breath and pulled her closer to him once more. He focused on the few streaks of gray he saw coming in. She constantly threatened to cut her hair, most loudly when the girls were infants and grabby. But he’d talked her out of it each time, loving that he could tangle his fingers in her tresses when he kissed her or feel the tickle of it when he held her against him at night or draped over one or the other when they made love. Those thoughts relaxed him, allowed him to breathe her in and sort out the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

No matter the answers to any of his questions and fears – or hers – she had to know that the only reaction that could ever matter was the one of elation.

In fact, instead of just holding her loosely in his embrace, he tightened his arms around her and lifted her off her feet, twirling her around in happiness. When he set her back on the ground, he kissed her hard, so full of passion and joy and gratitude for her and the family she’d created with him. She grinned against his lips, giggling adorably as he peppered her lips and cheeks and neck with dramatic kisses as he let the enthusiasm over her news settle into his heart.

Hugging her tightly against him, he murmured in her ear, “Not that I have any complaints, but maybe third time’s the charm for having a boy.”

Claire laughed. “You wish.” She kissed his chin. “Are you okay with this, really?”

“It’s too late now!” he threw back, and she nodded, agreeing. “We’re going to be great. And exhausted and busy. And stressed. Probably a total mess at times.” He rocked her as he looked into her eyes, misting and still slightly scared. “And we’re going to also be so damn happy. So disgustingly happy that no one will want to be around us. And it’ll be okay because we’ll have each other in our happiness cocoon.”

She burst into laughter again. “You are such a sap.”

“You love it.”

“I do,” she admitted, reaching up to kiss him, this time gently enough to slowly build to a probing, sweet validation of this special moment.

And then a massive, waist-level shove broke them from their close embrace.

“Why are y’all always kissing!” Ruby, the eight-year old demanded to know. “It’s embarrassing.” She’d wrapped her little arms around the two of them, creating a multi-sided hug situation. Glancing down the hall, Neil saw Viviana trotting close behind, probably leaving a trail of sand in her wake. 

“Embarrassing to who?” Neil asked, goading his daughter into a debate.

Ruby let out an exaggerated sigh. “To everyone, Daddy.”

When Viv caught up to them, she attached herself to Claire’s leg as if she’d been tortuously deprived of her mother’s attention for too long. Claire dropped one of her arms from around him and pulled the little girl closer. Neil reached around to pull Ruby closer into their family hug as well.

This was enough to bring a few tears to Neil’s eyes, too. Everything he loved in the world in one big embrace, even the things that were still growing and thriving before he got to set eyes on them.

“Daddy, come play with us outside,” Viv pleaded.

“Yeah, Daddy,” Ruby joined in. “You promised to watch our cartwheels. We’re really good.”

Neil stared down at her, a serious expression on his face. “I thought I told you no gymnastics unless I was there to make sure you’re safe.”

Ruby scrunched up her face, unimpressed by his gentle scolding. “You did, but then you said you’d be back in a minute to watch. It’s been so many minutes, and all you’re doing in here is kissing Mama.” She wiggles out of his embrace and pulls at his hand instead. “So, if you’re done kissing,” she says, her dismissive tone not bothering to hide her disdain, “come out and watch us.” Her attempts to drag him down the hall are enough to send Claire into another fit of giggles with Viv letting go of her mother and joining Ruby to pull him down the hall and toward the back door.

“This is your daughter, you know,” he called over his shoulder. “Classic Claire Browne stuff.”

As they rounded the corner, he paused at the image of Claire standing alone in the hallway filled with memories of their loved ones and their favorite moments. She had her head turned away from them, taking it all in and a hand resting on her mid-section, probably without her even realizing it. And then she turned back toward him and the girls, breaking into one of his favorite smiles. It bloomed fully across her face and erupted into that adorable crinkle in her nose and the corner of her eyes. She began walking towards them, eager to be a part of the fun and rejoining them in time to see the girls successfully coax him into the backyard. He didn’t need a photo on the wall to remember the way she looked in that moment.

For every new picture they’d put up after that – the adorable baby photos of their son Rafael, the candid image of Ruby at her medical school graduation party, Viv’s first prize-winning photograph, and a wonderfully chaotic family photo at the surprise party their children threw for his and Claire’s 40th wedding anniversary – he’d hold this and so many other mental images in his heart.

He couldn’t picture it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> I will stop distracting myself with this so I can concentrate on my multi-chapter story now. But obviously, these are a lot of fun to write, and I'm sure I'll return to it. 
> 
> Also, it strikes me that I keep giving these two so many different kids for all the different universes I'm putting them in. And I'm okay with that!


End file.
